A family hauler with cruising cred

The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas SEL 4Motion occupies a liminal space, as does the site of my testing: the Seattle and Tacoma regions of Washington. VW’s biggest-ever vehicle straddles the threshold of family haulers and full-blown utes with its muscular styling and terrain-selection knob. This area of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) is a delightful blend of the wild and the urban.

I reached out to VW to ask them if I could test the Atlas in the context of a friend’s wedding since I’d be staying in an Airbnb with five other friends. My tester exceled in these northern proving grounds with better-than-average road-going chops, the ground clearance to tackle the unpaved terrain I encountered over the weekend, and the space to accommodate everyone and their belongings.

I picked up the seven-seater from an airport parking lot and fell in love with its looks at first sight. The Reflex Silver Metallic paint paired well with the optional black-painted 20-inch alloy wheels, a $995 option, and gave the SUV on-road presence that set it apart from rival family cars.

The interior accouterments should be familiar to anyone who’s been inside a modern Volkswagen, but blown up from the usual size. One of the comments I received from a friend was, “The seats are so big!” I agree; the bolsters are wide set and although the leatherette chairs are fairly comfortable, they don’t offer much by way of lateral support. It seems VW committed to going full-American with the Atlas and supersized the seats as a result.

The dash in my tester had some attractive faux wood, but the black-everywhere aesthetic was otherwise pretty bland. I do like VW’s infotainment, however, and Android Auto synced up right away. The touchscreen is on the more responsive side of the spectrum as well, which made it easy to poke around maps when planning routes in the unfamiliar area.

Each squeeze the throttle ushered in the thrum of the 3.6-liter narrow-angle V-6 engine fills the cabin. The engine note is very pleasant, if not wholly enjoyable, but isn’t loud enough to drown out a conversation. It’s a reminder of how much character a naturally-aspirated powerplant can bring to an otherwise normal car.

Acceleration is ample, VW claims 0-60 mph comes in 7.5 seconds, but the experience doesn’t wow. Delivery of the 276 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque is smooth and when all the seats were full, I could manage passes on the highway with no issue. The engine and 8-speed transmission communicate well and with little hesitation to select gears. The 4Motion system was more than plenty in terms of offering grippy starts off the line.

My first task as the group’s driver was to collect our home’s occupants from downtown Seattle. The Atlas felt big among the tighter streets, but the great visibility and ride height made maneuvering simple enough. The motorized lift gate proved to be a champ when everyone had their hands full of luggage, and although the rear cargo area was down on space with the last row of seats up, we were still able to fit our crew’s baggage without squishing too much.

With this accomplished, shuttling folks around without any bags was a total breeze. It proved to be a great car to take everyone along to buy the goods needed to stock up our temporary home. The Atlas strikes the right balance of space for passengers and storage.

My second row passengers were especially spoiled with the upgraded 2nd row dual captain’s chair package. Although it stickers for $625, the feedback I received was indicative that it’s well-worth the cash.

The Atlas SEL 4Motion has some great driving-assistance technology that helped offset the SUV’s size. The model includes forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking (which I found to be a little sensitive), front pedestrian monitoring, parking assistance, lane departure warning, and blind spot monitoring. Of all of these systems VW’s lane departure system stands out as it would only engage as the vehicle began to depart the lane, and didn’t make me feel like I was wrestling with the car for control.

As a semi-suburban chariot, I found the Atlas to get the job done with style and comfortable efficiency. VW knew for whom it was designing a car and created a vehicle that satisfied both the American fantasy of going off-road and conquering literal frontiers while catering to the way Americans actually use their cars with aplomb.

At $45,235 after destination, the Volkswagen Atlas SEL 4Motion is an SUV that will serve a large family well. It’ll excel on roadtrips, on sports practice pickups, and doesn’t suck the joy out of zipping through corners. I consider it to have navigated its liminal space well.

Five-seater trades third row for swoopy style

The Cross Sport is a two-row version of the family-friendly Atlas, as shown at the 2018 New York auto show as a “near-production” concept car. The low fastback roofline works well with the blocky front end, making it look stylish and sexy without rendering the back seat useless. The Cross Sport’s wheelbase is the same as the seven-seater, with 7.5 inches chopped from the rear overhang. VW announced two hybrid drivetrains, a 355-hp plug-in version with 26 miles of electric-only range and a 5.4-second 0-60 time and a “mild hybrid” with 310 horsepower and a 6.5-second 0-60 run. Both are based on the 276-hp 3.6-liter V-6, which we also expect to make an appearance.

Premiering next to the Atlas Cross Sport—and garnering even more attention—was the Atlas Tanoak pickup concept, built to gauge public reaction, which was overwhelmingly positive. The Atlas Tanoak could be built in Chattanooga, Tennessee, along with other Atlas variants, and would be a perfect foil for the Honda Ridgeline.

On sale: Late 2019
Base price: $37,000 (est)

The mid-size SUV, called the Teramont X, made its debut in China today and is U.S. bound.

Making its global debut at the Shanghai auto show today, the Teramont X, Volkswagen's two-row mid-size SUV, gives us a glimpse of a two-row SUV that's destined for American roads. If it looks familiar, that's because the Teramont X–and its three-row variant, the Teramont–is based on the Atlas SUV that's already sold in the United States.The Teramont X sports a lower roofline, a more rakish rear liftgate, unique taillamps, and a slightly different side-window profile than the regular three-row Teramont/Atlas. We expect the interior of the vehicle will be about as roomy as the first two rows of the Atlas, so four adults should find it exceptionally spacious.

We knew Volkswagen was green-lighting a mid-size two-row SUV for North America; at last year's New York auto show, the company showed the Atlas Cross Sport conceptand confirmed such a vehicle would enter production, probably as a 2020 model.

Volkswagen spokesman Mark Gillies told C/D that the North American version will probably make its debut in the third quarter of 2019. It remains to be seen if the Teramont X will take the Atlas's name when it does break cover here or if it will go its own way with a unique badge.

Volkswagen of America, Inc. unveiled the new 2021 VW Atlas at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show. The refreshed seven-seater offers a bolder design as well as interior upgrades, advanced technology and new driver-assistance features while still maintaining the spacious interior and user-friendly infotainment and ergonomics that made the outgoing model so popular.

"The Atlas has been a huge success story for Volkswagen of America, helping us to position the brand with a greater emphasis on the family-friendly SUVs that consumers are buying," said Scott Keogh, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. "This refreshed model brings all the functionality of the previous model, and ups the ante with new technology and more style."

The refreshed Volkswagen Atlas maintains the same underpinnings of the successful outgoing model, but is nearly three inches longer, thanks to new front and rear bumper designs. Following in the footsteps of the Atlas Cross Sport, a bold three-bar grille extends into the front light signature creating a more stylish presence. The refreshed model features new headlight and taillight designs that include standard LED lighting. This, along with the sculpted front and rear bumpers, gives the Atlas a more aggressive stance. The R-line® trims up the ante with a unique bumper design, side skirts, and available 20- or 21-inch aluminum-alloy wheels (dependent on trim), as well as signature R-line badging.

The interior receives upgrades over the previous model, offering a more connected and comfortable experience. Upgrades include a new steering wheel, available contrast-stitching on the leather seating surfaces and door trim, and an 8-inch Composition Media infotainment system on all models but the base S trim. Available features include the Volkswagen Digital Cockpit, Fender® Premium Audio System, ambient lighting, 3-zone Climatronic® climate control, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, wireless charging, and remote start.

The Volkswagen Atlas highlights new technology features such as the Car-Net® telematics system. The next generation of Car-Net includes an updated mobile app, a long list of no-charge services for five years, and a variety of subscription options for customer flexibility-including in-car Wi-Fi capability when you subscribe to a data plan. Car-Net Hotspot allows passengers to access the internet with up to four connected devices simultaneously, including compatible tablets, smartphones, laptops, gaming devices, and more-all at 4G LTE-enabled speed.

A suite of driver-assistance technology is available on the Atlas. Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring (Front Assist), Blind Spot Monitor, and Rear Traffic Alert are standard on all models. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Stop and Go, Lane Keeping System (Lane Assist), Park Distance Control (PDC), Park Steering Assistant (Park Assist), and Overhead View Camera (Area View) are also available. Traffic Jam Assist and Dynamic Road Sign Display, first debuting on the Atlas Cross Sport, will be available as well.

The Volkswagen Atlas will be available with two powertrains: a 276-horsepower V6 and a 235-hp four-cylinder turbocharged and direct-injection TSI® engine. Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and are available with Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. The 2.0T and 4Motion pairing is new for 2020, as is the availability of the four-cylinder engine on top trimlines. V6 models can tow up to 5,000 pounds, when equipped with the V6 Towing Package.

The Atlas was the first Volkswagen designed, engineered and produced as part of Volkswagen's North American region strategy. Assembled at Volkswagen's Chattanooga, Tennessee factory alongside the Volkswagen Passat and the all-new Atlas Cross Sport, the Atlas has become a major player in the U.S. market since its initial release. Volkswagen has now invested more than $2.6 billion in the area and has about 3,800 direct employees in Tennessee.

The Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport are two solid, spacious crossovers – but neither of them are all that fun to drive. The company hopes to change that tune with the new Atlas Cross Sport GT Concept, which gives the staid SUV a more aggressive upgrade.

The Atlas Cross Sport GT Concept is the latest in a line of "enthusiast builds" for 2021, following the Arteon Big Sur and Taos Basecamp before it. Based on the factory R-Line model, this Atlas has an upgraded ST suspension with lowering springs that brings it closer to the pavement, unique 22-inch ABT Sport HR Aerowheel rims, and Tarox eight-piston front brakes that afford the Atlas extra stopping power.

The exterior wears a hand-painted Kingfisher Blue paint job, which is only available from the factory on select European VW models. Gloss black exterior trim replaces the stock chrome finishes, and custom GT badging is integrated throughout the vehicle. The interior sports a matching Eisvogelblau color inside atop the bespoke Recaro seats, gear shifter, and seat belts. And there's even a unique rear center console that follows the design language of the front console.

Powering this Atlas concept is the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder from the Golf R, but now with an IS38 turbo and an additional front-mounted radiator. That gives this Atlas a hearty 300 horsepower (223 kilowatts), mated to a seven-speed DSG gearbox and all-wheel drive.

"We really wanted to draw attention to the many great attributes of the Atlas Cross Sport, particularly its strong exterior styling, and evaluate its potential performance capabilities," said Sean Maynard, enthusiast marketing specialist for VW.

But don't get your hopes up, VW has no plans to put the Cross Sport GT into production (as far as we know). If you want to build one just like it, though, the Atlas Cross Sport starts at $30,855 in the US.